Class II student, injured in pool car accident, dies of multiple organ failure

Kolkata: The Class II student, who was injured in a road accident at Polba, Hooghly, last week, died of multiple organ failure on Saturday, doctors said.

Doctors of SSKM Hospital where Rishabh Singh was battling for his life for the past eight days said he died around 5 am.

Rishabh was on life support and doctors had performed extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment, in which a pump is used to circulate blood through an artificial lung back into the bloodstream.

He, along with his other schoolmates, had fallen victim to a pool car accident on February 14. Their vehicle fell into a roadside ditch after hitting a lamp post. Rishabh and his friend Dibyangshu Bhagat, both Class II students, were admitted to SSKM Hospital with severe injuries. Dibyangshu is still battling for life and doctors are leaving no stone unturned to cure him.

A pall of gloom descended at Rishabh's residence at Serampore's Beniapara in Hooghly soon after everyone came to know about his death. Hundreds of people from the area came to SSKM on Saturday morning. Rishabh's father Santosh Kumar Singh and his relatives were present at the hospital for the past eight days hoping to take him back home after recovery. All hopes ended with doctors informing them on Saturday early morning about his demise.

Rishabh's health deteriorated further on Friday evening which raised anxiety. His lungs had stopped functioning completely. He was under full ventilation support.

Before leaving the hospital premises with Rishabh's body, his father said: "I failed to take my son back home. But I wish Dibyangshu gets completely cured."

Kalyan Banerjee, Trinamool Congress MP from Serampore Lok Sabha constituency, reached SSKM soon after receiving the news. He too broke down while consoling Rishabh's father.

Locals, who had carried out the rescue work on the day of the incident, also came to SSKM Hospital. Recollecting the incident, one of the rescuers said the children were underwater for around 20 minutes after the pool car fell into the ditch.

Police had created a 60-km long Green Corridor to bring Rishabh and Dibyanshu to SSKM on February 14 after their vehicle fell into the ditch.

Neighbours and local residents broke down after his remains reached Serampore. Both his father and mother became senseless when the body arrived. All shops and markets in the area remained shut on Saturday.

The police have initiated a case on charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder has been initiated against the owner of the pool car, who was arrested on Friday.

There will be no pool car service in Hooghly on Monday and authorities of the owners' association has also been urged to take all necessary steps so that there is no repetition of such an incident.